Brent Sutter insists that the Calgary Flames were not on his mind when he resigned from the Devils earlier this month with another year remaining on his contract.

In fact, Sutter told The Star-Ledger Friday that he was surprised general manager Lou Lamoriello granted another NHL club permission to speak with him after stepping down as Devils head coach.

"When I resigned from the Devils I wasn't going to another team. Another team got permission to talk to me," Sutter told me via telephone. "And that team was an hour and 15 minutes down the road, not a 5 1/2 hour flight.

"When I resigned from the Devils I had no intention of coaching in the NHL next year. I resigned for family and personal reasons. I didn't resign to coach somewhere else in the NHL. When another team got permission to talk to me, I listened."

Sutter said he expected to sit out the 2009-10 season at home in Red Deer, Alberta, until he received a call from his brother, Flames GM Darryl Sutter.

"If the Calgary Flames never asked permission from the New Jersey Devils, I was very content," Sutter maintained. "To be quite honest, when I got the phone call that they said they got permission to talk to me, I was somewhat surprised. Not surprised that Mr. Lamoriello gave permission. That's Lou's integrity. I was surprised because I was like everyone else around here who felt the general manager was going to be the head coach here.

"I hadn't planned on coaching in the NHL this season. Did I think two weeks later I'd be coaching in Calgary? No, I didn't."

He was equally surprised by comments from Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek, who said the series of events left a bad taste in his mouth.

"There wasn't one thing hidden through the whole process. That's why when Jeff said that, I was somewhat surprised," Sutter said.

"But Jeff owns the team and I understand that. I was disappointed, but I was more disappointed that he didn't think he had a coach there that was committed 110 percent. I was committed 150 percent there. He has the right to say what he feels. I'm being respectful and I'm not going to make a comment back. I'm very content with everything. I had two very good years there. I was a very committed coach there."

There were also the comments from Devils forward Brian Rolston, who said he will be happier with any coach instead of Sutter. Rolston said he didn't feel he was given a fair shot by Sutter last season.

"That's more a reflection of Rolie being disappointed with the year he had," Sutter responded. "Brian is a great guy, but he had a tough year. Was that strictly the coach's fault? I had phone calls from a number of other players who were very respectful and grateful that they had the opportunity that I coached them.

"I have nothing against Brian for saying that. It just shows a sign of frustration. It's like anybody else. You have to look in the mirror."

Sutter had to know what kind of reaction he'd get by accepting the Calgary job, but he said he never considered turning it down.

"I know the circumstances and it doesn't matter what people think," he explained. "A lot of people have been very supportive of my decision. People can think anything they want. If the New Jersey Devils didn't want Brent Sutter coaching anywhere else, they wouldn't have given permission to another team to talk to me.

"Being an hour and 15 minutes down the road didn't automatically make me the head coach in Calgary. I went through a process there for a week. An hour and 15 minute drive door-to-door from my home to the Flames' offices, sure that played into it."

And his two seasons in New Jersey?

"I have not one bad thing to say about anything there," Sutter said. "I guess I somewhat understand that people are disappointed about what occurred. But what did Brent Sutter do wrong through that? Did the Devils have to give permission for another team to talk to me? No they didn't. I got approached by a team that got permission from the Devils. I evaluated it. Why not? Let's move forward. I don't feel bad about it."

I asked Sutter if he was relieved that the pressure of the last month was finally over.

"There was no issue with me through any of that," he said. "The reason why is I know a decision had to be made. I made the right decision. No matter what people think or feel, it is the right decision. I wanted to make sure I thought it through properly, and I did. You move on and I'm doing that and I'm very excited to be coaching the Calgary Flames.

"When I resigned from my position with the Devils it was like a million pounds off my shoulders. I don't mean that in a bad way. I mean it in a good way. I have a tremendous amount of respect for so many people around there, but being there wasn't right for Brent Sutter. I threw my heart and soul into it. I made a big-time decision but there are other things more important to me than the game."